NCLEX pass rates in North Carolina
89.7% of North Carolina nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 3.0 points above the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2023 the figure was 94.0%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in North Carolina
- 2023 4,512 first-time takers94.0%
- 2024 4,827 first-time takers94.1%
- 2025 5,232 first-time takers89.7%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: North Carolina board of nursing, calendar. National rate from NCSBN. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
By type of program
| Program type | Programs | First-time test-takers | Pass rate | National 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (BSN) | 35 | 2,033 | 88.9% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 62 | 3,142 | 90.0% | 86.1% |
Each program's most recent reporting year, pooled. Programs reporting under another school are included in the type that board lists them under.
Highest pass rates among 92 ranked programs
32 programs at 95% or higher, 34 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 23 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 3 programs at under 80%. Pass rates here are pooled over each program's last three reporting years, and only programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers are ranked.
| Program | Type | Pass rate | First-time test-takers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba College | BSN | 100.0% | 24 |
| Mayland Community College | ADN | 100.0% | 43 |
| Randolph Community College | ADN | 100.0% | 41 |
| Carolinas College of Health Sciences | ADN | 99.7% | 286 |
| Gaston College | ADN | 99.4% | 168 |
| Appalachian State University | BSN | 99.3% | 138 |
| Cape Fear Community College | ADN | 99.3% | 295 |
| Central Carolina Community College | ADN | 99.0% | 96 |
| College of the Albemarle | ADN | 98.8% | 80 |
| Western Piedmont Community College | ADN | 98.7% | 78 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in North Carolina.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in North Carolina passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 95.2% of the time in 2025, against 86.6% nationally in 2025.
What a pass rate does and does not tell you
The NCLEX is the licensing exam every US nurse must pass. A program's first-time pass rate reflects its students' preparation and the program's selectivity as well as its teaching, and small programs swing widely from year to year, so we pool three years and set a floor of 20 test-takers for ranking. Pass rates also say nothing about cost or what graduates earn.
Compare BSN programs in North Carolina. See how to get a nursing license in North Carolina. Registered nurses in North Carolina earned a median $84,350 in May 2025.